Computer tips for the visually challenged

[sfwarbonnet]

I had a government-furnished x-y CCTV (Genie Pro) and ZoomText. I had to return the CCTV when I retired and lost ZoomText when I had to reinstall Windowsxp. I am doing quite nicely without them though, with PDF’s and Windows High Contrast Black Display. My optical mouse has a magnifier too, which is handy as I prefer to keep the monitor at arms-length. I have a 32” LCD HDTV/monitor that my neighbor says is “awesome,” and I write messages in Word with large fonts and spell check everything, then reduce the font size before pasting it. To avoid the need for horizontal scrolling, I usually copy new messages and web articles into Word and increase the font size. I also have a portable viewer (PICO) that I used primarily for meetings. Although that need has disappeared, I usually carry the viewer as it comes in handy for reading small print and in low light situations (such as in reading restaurant menus).

[Redwings]

Thanks for posting! It sounds like you were fortunate to get help with electronic low vision devices and training.

There is a world of low vision devices available, but somehow people who are visually impaired just don't seem to find out about low vision rehabilitation. That has a lot to do with ophthalmologists being shamefully bad at referring people to low vision clinics and optometrists who provide low vision services.

It's even worse for folks who are visually impaired due to MS because so many rely on their neurologists for treating ON, and neurologists know absolutely nothing about low vision and low vision services. Even the low vision column in the NMSS magazine does a woeful disservice to people with low vision because everything is discussed from an OT perspective. Ophthalmologists and optometrists -- the professions that actually provide the vision care, vision services and many low-vision devices -- are excluded from the discussion as if they and their services don't even exist. A perfect opportunity to inform people about low vision devices and rehabilitation is thrown away.

While Medicare will pay for limited visits with an OT who has undergone addition training in vision rehabilitation and works under the supervision of an ophthalmologist -- and again the problem of ophthalmologists rarely referring for any kind of low vision rehabilitation -- Medicare does NOT pay for actual low vision exams or devices or any kind. In some states, Medicaid will pay for inexpensive, nonelectronic devices.

While the more sophisticated low vision devices aren't cheap, many of them are affordable for a lot of people. For about the same cost of buying the kids cell phones, game boxes and iPods, a person can buy a nice portable video magnifier.

Thanks again for posting and letting folks here know that there are many options available to help with visual impairments that their doctors have never told them about.

[kellygrn]

Have you tried text to speech programs?

I copy my emails or stories that are on line to my SpeechQue program & it reads the mail to me.

What is the brand name of the mouse that magnifies? My sister has one & it's time for me to get a new mouse.

KK

[Texashelper]

Another source of information is your state's rehabilitation agency. There are "vocational rehab counselors" for employed persons and "independent living counselors" for those unable to work. My friends with low vision or blindness use JAWS (text to speech) software or a CCTV (closed circuit tv). The CCTV is placed over a text document and it is magnified on the screen. If a person qualifies for help, the rehab agency can provide low vision devices and TRAINING. They might even have loaner devises for a person to try.

In fact, the agency might have ALL KINDS of loaner devices for ANY KIND of disabling condition. I was able to borrow a scooter and then a power wheelchair for a short time. It sure helped me decide which device worked best for me (at work and home). The business that sells rehab items also might have a loaner to try. When getting a scooter or wheelchair, it is VERY important to be properly measured before the purchase (seat size; arm, leg, and torso length; type of arm rests, back and neck support, type of foot rests, etc). There's no such thing as "one size fits all," so ask for an EXPERIENCED mobility specialist before a purchase is made.

[GardeningMSer]

or you can get a Mac

I find my macbook to be far more eye friendly than any of the Windows boxes I've used or looked at in the past year due to high resolution and easily adjusted font size in most applications.

My vision challenged wife just bought herself a 15.3" macbook and loves it.

The biggest problem with the mac is the price - it is higher than many Windows PCs, as I can't compare apples and oranges I can't say how much.

If you can afford one, the 17" laptop has an incredible screen.

[sfwarbonnet]

What is the brand name of the mouse that magnifies? My sister has one & it's time for me to get a new mouse.

KK

Mine is an optical mouse by Microsoft. It was a gift, and the giver didn't know about the magnifier!
Another tip: I use the Read Aloud feature of the Adobe Reader, and if you have the full Acrobat you can make PDF's

[gomer]

Windows handicap aids (built-in)

I am running Windows XP, a bit old and it has several AIDS built-in.

MAGNIFIER is a handy visual aid tool. IN the START menu, go to PROGRAMS- ACCESSORIES - ACCESSABILITY and click on MAGNIFIER. It will open a special window, across by default but it can be made to FLOAT (per program) What it does is MAGNIFY the area of scrren whereever your MOUSE is. The Mag level can be set to about 9x normal size, customizable in 1x increments. I just placed a shortcut icon on my desktop. I seldom use it but like to have the icon handy for when I do.

ON my new notebook w/windows-7 the folder labels change a bit. Instead of ACESSABILITY its labeled EASE of ACCESS. ON that one the magnifier goes to whopping 16x or 1600% normal size.

In the respective acessability folders you will find several aids. an ON_SCREEN keyboard (point and click to type), a NARRATOR which READS text to you and also on Win-7 has a voice recognitin built in, not sure if older windows versions have voice recognition tho.

IMO Windows has quite a few aids for us already built-into windows. IF ya can FIND them..............lol

Dr Gomer Needs to change that male robot voice to a nice younger female voice..........lol

[kellygrn]

I use Ultra-Hal reader instead of the Windows XP one. With Hal I high light, hit copy (but never paste it any where). Hal reads with inflection & that weird 2001 A Space Oddity voice. LOL!!!

KK

[Bob698]

I have a 32” LCD HDTV/monitor

LOL, I was going to mention that before I read your post.
I replaced an old Sony that weighed about 200 pounds with a 32" hd set that weighs 20. After I bought it, I noticed the D-type input and tried plugging it in to the 'puter. I haven't gone back since.
The only thing this set doesn't have is picture-in-picture so I switch between the TV and RGB inputs with the remote.

[wkikta]

All mice will magnify with Windows. Just hold the control key and roll the scroll up, it will increase image size by 5% for each click. With Windows 7 hitting the 'Windows' key and '+' will open a magnifier window that can be moved around the screen. If it still isn't big enough just do it again, it will get bigger each time. To reduce the window 'windows' key and '-', it will step back for each time you do it.

[sfwarbonnet]

The magnifier button on my optical mouse went kaput, but the magnifier in Windows works fine. I also use sticky keys and the toggle between High Contrast and the normal display (which is handy as some buttons and displays “disappear” in High Contrast. I also use a Kinderboard by Chester Creek. That large-letter keyboard doesn’t have the Print Screen key that Windows uses to toggle the display, but Chester Creek suggested using the freeware Keytweek to remap PS to F9 (which works fine). I also usually cut-and-paste small print (such as on the web) to Word and increase the font size. Cut-and-paste also works with new PDF’s and allows changing display colors (I prefer white letters on a black background) and permits faster reading as it avoids horizontal scrolling.

[Marie12]

Enlarge computer text - thank you wik

Thank you again Wik. That is really a nice way to enlarge computer text. You r GREAT!!!!!!

[sfwarbonnet]

I am running Windows XP, a bit old and it has several AIDS built-in.

MAGNIFIER is a handy visual aid tool. IN the START menu, go to PROGRAMS- ACCESSORIES - ACCESSABILITY and click on MAGNIFIER. It will open a special window, across by default but it can be made to FLOAT (per program) What it does is MAGNIFY the area of scrren whereever your MOUSE is. The Mag level can be set to about 9x normal size, customizable in 1x increments. I just placed a shortcut icon on my desktop. I seldom use it but like to have the icon handy for when I do.

ON my new notebook w/windows-7 the folder labels change a bit. Instead of ACESSABILITY its labeled EASE of ACCESS. ON that one the magnifier goes to whopping 16x or 1600% normal size.

In the respective acessability folders you will find several aids. an ON_SCREEN keyboard (point and click to type), a NARRATOR which READS text to you and also on Win-7 has a voice recognitin built in, not sure if older windows versions have voice recognition tho.

IMO Windows has quite a few aids for us already built-into windows. IF ya can FIND them..............lol

Dr Gomer Needs to change that male robot voice to a nice younger female voice..........lol

Yes, the Magnifier is helpful. I also prefer the High Contrast Black display as I can read smaller print with white letters on a black background. The normal/high contrast toggle (Alt-Shift-PS) is helpful too as some buttons don't appear in High Contrast Black. I also use Sticky Keys.